Professor Questions: Grand Conversation
Everyone responds here. Be sure to put your initials next to your answer.
1. What does research say about the topic? TH: Early research said that parents' lack of time for their children, lack of interest in their education, and lack of knowledge of how to support their children was the reason for children to not experience success in school. Later research said that these children were not language and literacy deprived but rather they were language and literacy different. Their experiences were not the ones valued by schools. AW: I read a book called The Read Aloud Handbook. This book discussed the importance of reading to your child when they are young and continuing this until way past what I would have thought to be normal. Early success can be due to parental involvement and importance placed on reading and writing and learning. Unfortunately, many parents think learning and reading start at school. This could not be further from the truth. Parents provide the background knowledge that we teachers need to build on. VI-S: It is important for teachers/schools and parents to work together for each student to succeed. The book mentions that the teacher is the most important but I also feel there is a huge difference when students are supported from their parents or if their parents don't want to be bothered. MC: I have noticed the trend in research that is pointing towards children not being "socialized" like children use to be. Less and less children come to school with literacy rich backgrounds. This has also been referred to as to way children from certain social groups begin school two or three levels behind other children, and sometimes never "catch up".
2. Reconstruct ways that we can connect what we know to what we should apply. TH: All parents, regardless of their culture, economic level, native language, etc. care about the education of their children. They may not know how to go about helping their child, but they want their child to gain an education. We need to focus on developing and supporting the literacy of both parent and child. We do that by developing relationships with families. We also do that my welcoming parents into our classrooms and encouraging their help, whatever that may look like. AW: I disagree a little, Toni. I do not believe that it is MY job to teach parents. If I take that upon myself, then I am a better person and the children in my class will do better, but it is not my job. I am a partner to parents. Parents are the primary giver. Now, I may need to provide more background knowledge and build up experiences for the child so they can connect learning, but I think we should do that anyway...regardless of background experiences. That's just good teaching! VI-S: I also think that the parent is the childs first help. We as teachers are there to take thier child further and encourage them to learn. MC: I agree to some extent that its hard to work with the parents as well as the kids, but in my case with my special ed students most of my parents barely even show up to IEP meetings, much less make sure the kid gets his homework done, so when I have parents that show an interest in learning more about their child's disability or how to make them more successful in school I take advantage of that opportunity. I know as a parent that my involvement in my child's education is just as vital as the teaching he will recieve.
3. Support partnerships with parents and other significant adults. TH: Teachers need to develop relationships with each family represented in their classroom. They need to find out the skills and/or interests of both child and parents. Teachers need to welcome parents into the classroom to share their experiences, skills, etc. with the class. Parents and families need to feel important. AW: Building relationships, yes. Building partnerships, yes! Every year we have a PIE meeting with parents. We have a Partner in Education meeting to make ourselves available to parents. We meet to tell our parents that we want to partner with them, not take their place and not take over. We are the supplemental parent. VI-S: We always start out the year with corresponding with our student's parents in some way. We can either set up meeting with them or write letters to them. I think starting off the school year sounding excited and wanting open communication sets a tone with parents. I just makes sense to have good communication with them. MC: Just like Vanessa we try early on in the year to form relationships with our parents. I have 6 sections of kids plus my file kids that I may or may not see. The kids that I have in class I try to establish relationships with their parents at open house. I establish relationships with my file parents over the course of the year through IEP meetings or staffings or phone calls, and then I keep that file until the student leaves my school (and get it if they come back) as well as try to pick up other siblings of the family. This is a big help in getting to know the students and parents and what my IEP students' needs are. We are also required to call the parent if there is ever a situation with the student like failing grades or othe problems, and once i've contacted the parent with something negative I always try to contact the again with something positive so they know I'm not "picking" on their kid.
My Three Questions
Respond to your peers' questions. Be sure to put your initial next to your answer. The third question is for the teacher to respond.
Amanda's ?s
1. What is one way you have included parents in your classroom to promote family literacy? TH: We hold two parent meetings each year (at least). One of them is to provide parents with the proficiency test results and discuss the services the child will receive. The other meeting is later in the year - and we try to include some type of "performance" activity that the children conduct. Along the way, we converse with our parents and give them ideas on how to help their child. Most of my parents do not speak English, so we have to find ways to break down that barrier. VI-S: We hold parent meetings each quarter. They are strongly encourage to attend. I do send out a letter wishing for good communication between the team. I receive a lot of phone calls where we conference on the phone. I always try to let them know of the good things their child is doing. MC: The one thing that our scool does through the Media Center is have a book fair in the fall and spring and our parents come up and work the book fair. Other than that, our school doesn't really do much. I've tried to think of ways to get our middle school parents involved but the ones who want to be are already involved through PTA. Most of my special ed parents show little interest which makes me really sad sometimes.
2. Are you happy with your current parental involvement level in the classroom? TH: My parents are usually very happy to come to school to find out what is going on with their child, and find ways to help their child. However, most of my parents are not comfortable in the school environment because they don't speak English at all or very well. So, they are self conscious already. They willingly call our classroom because my assistant is fluent in Spanish. She and I work together to make them feel comfortable as well as keep them updated on their child's progress. VI-S: No. I teach in a very transiant community. I am the special education teacher and for some reason parents don't have a lot of envolvement in their childs education. I probably wouldn't have as many students if parents took a stronger role. I try to discuss helpful ideas with them and some really appreciate it. Parental involvement in our entire school is very poor. MC: Yes and No. My special ed parents often show very little interest in their child's education until often times its too late. However, we have an awesome PTA at our school and they are very supportive. I do get the opportunity, however, through my inclusion classes to work with other students and their parents and those relationships are often very rewarding.
3. Do you believe there is such a thing as too much parental involvement? Why or why not? TH: Actually, I do believe there is such a thing as too much parental involvement. Parents should provide enough support to be helpful to their child, their child's teacher, and their child's school. But, when parents begin to hover (helicopter parents) and smother any of the three, they hinder progress. Sometimes their dominance can make the everyone uncomfortable. VI-S: Yes! I can give a great example. There is a 4th grader who's mother still walks him to the class every day and unpacks his things for him. He is very smart but has some issues with completing homework and participating in class (very immature). We have discussed this with parents but no change and mother still babies him. If his work isn't done by morning, she walks him early to class, gathers his things (textbook & homework), takes him to the cafeteria and does his school work for him! Parents need to be involved in their childs education and support what they are learning. When it becomes a crutch for students then it is too much. The child needs to learn responsibility. MC: I do. I think sometimes parents would like to have total control of their child's education. I see that in some of the IEP meetings I have had and some conferences that I have sat in on. I have even had one parent who was a special education teacher and she practically wanted to WRITE her child's IEP!
Mandy's ?s
1. What is the best way for a student’s teacher to go about finding out the literacy practices in the home, if any? TH: Ask the parent or ask the child. Also, sending home a questionnaire as a homework assignment might be valuable. AW: I like interest inventories or a Meet the Teacher night where everyone can come together and meet and talk. I think if you want to know something...ask! VI-S: Open communication is needed. I would discuss this with parents. Inventories are great ways to not only find out about your students but also about your parents.
2. What resources are there out right now that schools can utilize for students who have not had a strong literacy regiment at home? TH: Our local library has activities available for students. They also have bilingual resources available to help. We also have a church that volunteer to do homework help with our students one or two nights each week. They also have translators available. Teachers, themselves, must take on the responibility of teaching literacy skills to those who do not come to school with them. AW: I would suggest the Read Aloud Handbook for parents (who can read). And, I like what Toni suggested, the library. There are summer reading programs. If the family has a computer, there are tons of websites that can be utilized at home to reinforce skills taught at school. VI-S: The school's reading specialist (like us :) ) will have a lot of strategies and resources that parents could use at home. I also agree that the library usually has some kind of program for support of reading. Technology can be a wonderful tool (libraries have free acess if parents don't have a computer at home).
3. Is there a correlation with students who have a learning disability coming from low income homes where there was no family involvement in the student’s “literacy progression”? TH: I have to agree with this chapter when it talks about the family involvement. Every family has some sort of involvement -it just might not be what the school values as being important. But, to answer your question - I think that a high proportion of our LD kids come from low income families. These kids have not been subjected to the same type of early learning situations as middle/upper class children. Therefore, they have numerous delays in their learning. Since the state testing doesn't wait for a child to "catch up," schools are identifying children in order to give them extra assistance. AW: Yes, there is a correlation. These students do not have books at home, are not read to, do not have parents who read regularly, and lack the resources to provide anything like this. It's sad, but true. Most of the parents do not have a college degree or sometimes high school degree. They work with their hands and not books. VI-S: I teach special education and can see the difference even with my students. Some parents give wonderful support to their childs learning process and that child improves. Then I have many parents who don't support their child (work with them, read with them, etc.) and their child really struggles to improve. Just because families don't have money does not mean they cannot find a way to help support their child (emotionally). Showing pride in their child works wonders.
Toni's ?s
1. Please describe the “funds of knowledge” your typical student comes to school with.Are they in line with school expectations? AW: For our private school, yes. Most of our children had pre-school and most of them had parents who read to them. In addition, my kids usually value learning and school. They are well fed, well taken care of, and have (usually) 2 parents that are still married. All of this builds their knowledge bank and keeps learning at the top. VI-S: Many of our students in my district don't have a solid foundation of knowledge. I work in a very transiant community with not a lot of support from families. Many of my students (4th grade) have to be by themselves after school, make dinner for them or siblings, and do homework on their own (keep in mind they are students with a learning disability and can't read!). They don't have the basic math or reading skills and our subjects get harder. MC: I think there is a population of students in my district that do have a strong foundation, but my district also has it's fair share of students who have a very unstable academic foundation. I have also noticed that our special ed population has actually grown over the last few years and even the students in my general ed classess seem to be a step behind the class that was before them. I usually ask my self if that isn't a little backwards, and what the root of the problem might be. The jury is still out on that one for me!
2.What types of family literacy programs does your school have in place at this time and are they effective? AW: We currently do not have anything specific for families in terms of literacy. VI-S: We don't have a family program currently in place. Our library tries to hold things throughout the year but usually it is very few parents who show up. MC: Other than our fall and spring book fair and the conversations we have at open house there isn't anything. I would love to find a way to do something like that at the middle school level, but havne't had the opportunity to do that yet.
*3. The chapter discussed home visits.I can see their immense value, but how would teachers work them into their normal routine?Would the results be worth the investment of time, etc.? AW: I have heard of teacher doing this before the school year begins, to establish rapport and and see each child's home life first hand. I personally have never done this and I'm not sure you would have to do this for each student, maybe just the struggling ones. Then again, that doesn't seem fair. I think it would depend on the child and the family. Some families may be embarrassed or not interested. VI-S: We do not do home visits but are expected to call and write a letter within the first week of school. I can defenitly see the benefit of making home visits to show parents you are invested in their childs education. I don't know if I would feel safe enough in our district (maybe if another co-worker came with). Many of our parents work at odd hours and are very difficult to get a hold of even by phone. MC: I agree with the idea that they could be valuable, but I understand what Vanessa is saying about not feeling safe. The majority of my file students do not come from homes that I feel like I would be comfortable visiting alone, but I do try to make contact with the family.
Vanessa's ?s
1. What activities do you do in your classroom to learn about your students family and literacy practices at home? TH: At the beginning of the year we do a "get to know each other" activity. We spend several class periods working on it because it works on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. It is not uncommon for my assistant to call parents and speak to them in Spanish, learning valuable information. We also have many many discussions in our class relating topics to the child's life experiences. AW: I think we all do an "all about me" unit at the beginning to get to know each other. But, I would guess that most everything else comes from observation and little things you learn along the way. Some things can't be explained by the child. My kids don't ride the bus, so usually I see the parents after school and I can communicate directly with those parents. MC: Sometimes the students write autiobiography poems about their home life and themselves, and sometimes we just have them do activities or play games to get to know each other. Then we usually read a short novel or a short story and then have them work in small groups so they can also get to know eachother and we can see how they work with each other. 2. How do you get your parents actively involved in their child's literacy goals? TH: This can be as simple as a phone call explaining an assignment with or without suggestions for how to reinforce it. I also stress to parents that ANYTHING they do to help their child (in either language) is beneicial to their child's literacy development. We encourage them to read to their child every night (doesn't matter the language). We also encourage them to take advantage of the public library's resources. Above all, we encourage the parents to learn English by attending the Parent English classes offered in our district, by watching English television, listening to English radio, etc. AW: We have AR and many teachers do literacy bags that go home each night. These include games and books to do together as a family. MC: Other than coming to open house in the fall, the fall and spring book fair, and the parents that are involved in PTA there isn't much that our parents are involved in at the middle school level. 3. How do you use the information gathered from your students/parents to aid in your teaching? TH: It is extremely important for me to determine whether or not the parents of my students have adequate English speaking/understanding skills. If they need a translator for parent/teacher meetings with the regular classroom teachers, we need to be able to provide that for them. We also try to make sure notes, newsletters, etc. are translated before being sent home. It is it important enough to go home, it needs to be readable by the family. By finding out about the family environment, I can get to know my students better. AW: If I know a child needs something specific, then I definitely incorporate that into my lessons. For instance, last year I had a little girl with a severe speech problem. We worked everyday to increase her vocabulary and worked with speaking in complete sentences so she practiced her oral language skills. The mom and the speech therapist noticed. They complimented and thanked me fore reinforcing skills she was taught in speech. MC: I definately use the information I find out about my students when teaching! I like to think of the beginning of the year as building on my own background knowledge of my students so that I can connect with them and help them connect to what we will learn that year together. It's definately not boring the first few days of middle school.
Everyone responds here. Be sure to put your initials next to your answer.
1. What does research say about the topic?
TH: Early research said that parents' lack of time for their children, lack of interest in their education, and lack of knowledge of how to support their children was the reason for children to not experience success in school. Later research said that these children were not language and literacy deprived but rather they were language and literacy different. Their experiences were not the ones valued by schools.
AW: I read a book called The Read Aloud Handbook. This book discussed the importance of reading to your child when they are young and continuing this until way past what I would have thought to be normal. Early success can be due to parental involvement and importance placed on reading and writing and learning. Unfortunately, many parents think learning and reading start at school. This could not be further from the truth. Parents provide the background knowledge that we teachers need to build on.
VI-S: It is important for teachers/schools and parents to work together for each student to succeed. The book mentions that the teacher is the most important but I also feel there is a huge difference when students are supported from their parents or if their parents don't want to be bothered.
MC: I have noticed the trend in research that is pointing towards children not being "socialized" like children use to be. Less and less children come to school with literacy rich backgrounds. This has also been referred to as to way children from certain social groups begin school two or three levels behind other children, and sometimes never "catch up".
2. Reconstruct ways that we can connect what we know to what we should apply.
TH: All parents, regardless of their culture, economic level, native language, etc. care about the education of their children. They may not know how to go about helping their child, but they want their child to gain an education. We need to focus on developing and supporting the literacy of both parent and child. We do that by developing relationships with families. We also do that my welcoming parents into our classrooms and encouraging their help, whatever that may look like.
AW: I disagree a little, Toni. I do not believe that it is MY job to teach parents. If I take that upon myself, then I am a better person and the children in my class will do better, but it is not my job. I am a partner to parents. Parents are the primary giver. Now, I may need to provide more background knowledge and build up experiences for the child so they can connect learning, but I think we should do that anyway...regardless of background experiences. That's just good teaching!
VI-S: I also think that the parent is the childs first help. We as teachers are there to take thier child further and encourage them to learn.
MC: I agree to some extent that its hard to work with the parents as well as the kids, but in my case with my special ed students most of my parents barely even show up to IEP meetings, much less make sure the kid gets his homework done, so when I have parents that show an interest in learning more about their child's disability or how to make them more successful in school I take advantage of that opportunity. I know as a parent that my involvement in my child's education is just as vital as the teaching he will recieve.
3. Support partnerships with parents and other significant adults.
TH: Teachers need to develop relationships with each family represented in their classroom. They need to find out the skills and/or interests of both child and parents. Teachers need to welcome parents into the classroom to share their experiences, skills, etc. with the class. Parents and families need to feel important.
AW: Building relationships, yes. Building partnerships, yes! Every year we have a PIE meeting with parents. We have a Partner in Education meeting to make ourselves available to parents. We meet to tell our parents that we want to partner with them, not take their place and not take over. We are the supplemental parent.
VI-S: We always start out the year with corresponding with our student's parents in some way. We can either set up meeting with them or write letters to them. I think starting off the school year sounding excited and wanting open communication sets a tone with parents. I just makes sense to have good communication with them.
MC: Just like Vanessa we try early on in the year to form relationships with our parents. I have 6 sections of kids plus my file kids that I may or may not see. The kids that I have in class I try to establish relationships with their parents at open house. I establish relationships with my file parents over the course of the year through IEP meetings or staffings or phone calls, and then I keep that file until the student leaves my school (and get it if they come back) as well as try to pick up other siblings of the family. This is a big help in getting to know the students and parents and what my IEP students' needs are. We are also required to call the parent if there is ever a situation with the student like failing grades or othe problems, and once i've contacted the parent with something negative I always try to contact the again with something positive so they know I'm not "picking" on their kid.
My Three Questions
Respond to your peers' questions. Be sure to put your initial next to your answer. The third question is for the teacher to respond.
Amanda's ?s
1. What is one way you have included parents in your classroom to promote family literacy?
TH: We hold two parent meetings each year (at least). One of them is to provide parents with the proficiency test results and discuss the services the child will receive. The other meeting is later in the year - and we try to include some type of "performance" activity that the children conduct. Along the way, we converse with our parents and give them ideas on how to help their child. Most of my parents do not speak English, so we have to find ways to break down that barrier.
VI-S: We hold parent meetings each quarter. They are strongly encourage to attend. I do send out a letter wishing for good communication between the team. I receive a lot of phone calls where we conference on the phone. I always try to let them know of the good things their child is doing.
MC: The one thing that our scool does through the Media Center is have a book fair in the fall and spring and our parents come up and work the book fair. Other than that, our school doesn't really do much. I've tried to think of ways to get our middle school parents involved but the ones who want to be are already involved through PTA. Most of my special ed parents show little interest which makes me really sad sometimes.
2. Are you happy with your current parental involvement level in the classroom?
TH: My parents are usually very happy to come to school to find out what is going on with their child, and find ways to help their child. However, most of my parents are not comfortable in the school environment because they don't speak English at all or very well. So, they are self conscious already. They willingly call our classroom because my assistant is fluent in Spanish. She and I work together to make them feel comfortable as well as keep them updated on their child's progress.
VI-S: No. I teach in a very transiant community. I am the special education teacher and for some reason parents don't have a lot of envolvement in their childs education. I probably wouldn't have as many students if parents took a stronger role. I try to discuss helpful ideas with them and some really appreciate it. Parental involvement in our entire school is very poor.
MC: Yes and No. My special ed parents often show very little interest in their child's education until often times its too late. However, we have an awesome PTA at our school and they are very supportive. I do get the opportunity, however, through my inclusion classes to work with other students and their parents and those relationships are often very rewarding.
3. Do you believe there is such a thing as too much parental involvement? Why or why not?
TH: Actually, I do believe there is such a thing as too much parental involvement. Parents should provide enough support to be helpful to their child, their child's teacher, and their child's school. But, when parents begin to hover (helicopter parents) and smother any of the three, they hinder progress. Sometimes their dominance can make the everyone uncomfortable.
VI-S: Yes! I can give a great example. There is a 4th grader who's mother still walks him to the class every day and unpacks his things for him. He is very smart but has some issues with completing homework and participating in class (very immature). We have discussed this with parents but no change and mother still babies him. If his work isn't done by morning, she walks him early to class, gathers his things (textbook & homework), takes him to the cafeteria and does his school work for him! Parents need to be involved in their childs education and support what they are learning. When it becomes a crutch for students then it is too much. The child needs to learn responsibility.
MC: I do. I think sometimes parents would like to have total control of their child's education. I see that in some of the IEP meetings I have had and some conferences that I have sat in on. I have even had one parent who was a special education teacher and she practically wanted to WRITE her child's IEP!
Mandy's ?s
1. What is the best way for a student’s teacher to go about finding out the literacy practices in the home, if any?
TH: Ask the parent or ask the child. Also, sending home a questionnaire as a homework assignment might be valuable.
AW: I like interest inventories or a Meet the Teacher night where everyone can come together and meet and talk. I think if you want to know something...ask!
VI-S: Open communication is needed. I would discuss this with parents. Inventories are great ways to not only find out about your students but also about your parents.
2. What resources are there out right now that schools can utilize for students who have not had a strong literacy regiment at home?
TH: Our local library has activities available for students. They also have bilingual resources available to help. We also have a church that volunteer to do homework help with our students one or two nights each week. They also have translators available. Teachers, themselves, must take on the responibility of teaching literacy skills to those who do not come to school with them.
AW: I would suggest the Read Aloud Handbook for parents (who can read). And, I like what Toni suggested, the library. There are summer reading programs. If the family has a computer, there are tons of websites that can be utilized at home to reinforce skills taught at school.
VI-S: The school's reading specialist (like us :) ) will have a lot of strategies and resources that parents could use at home. I also agree that the library usually has some kind of program for support of reading. Technology can be a wonderful tool (libraries have free acess if parents don't have a computer at home).
3. Is there a correlation with students who have a learning disability coming from low income homes where there was no family involvement in the student’s “literacy progression”?
TH: I have to agree with this chapter when it talks about the family involvement. Every family has some sort of involvement -it just might not be what the school values as being important. But, to answer your question - I think that a high proportion of our LD kids come from low income families. These kids have not been subjected to the same type of early learning situations as middle/upper class children. Therefore, they have numerous delays in their learning. Since the state testing doesn't wait for a child to "catch up," schools are identifying children in order to give them extra assistance.
AW: Yes, there is a correlation. These students do not have books at home, are not read to, do not have parents who read regularly, and lack the resources to provide anything like this. It's sad, but true. Most of the parents do not have a college degree or sometimes high school degree. They work with their hands and not books.
VI-S: I teach special education and can see the difference even with my students. Some parents give wonderful support to their childs learning process and that child improves. Then I have many parents who don't support their child (work with them, read with them, etc.) and their child really struggles to improve. Just because families don't have money does not mean they cannot find a way to help support their child (emotionally). Showing pride in their child works wonders.
Toni's ?s
1. Please describe the “funds of knowledge” your typical student comes to school with.Are they in line with school expectations?
AW: For our private school, yes. Most of our children had pre-school and most of them had parents who read to them. In addition, my kids usually value learning and school. They are well fed, well taken care of, and have (usually) 2 parents that are still married. All of this builds their knowledge bank and keeps learning at the top.
VI-S: Many of our students in my district don't have a solid foundation of knowledge. I work in a very transiant community with not a lot of support from families. Many of my students (4th grade) have to be by themselves after school, make dinner for them or siblings, and do homework on their own (keep in mind they are students with a learning disability and can't read!). They don't have the basic math or reading skills and our subjects get harder.
MC: I think there is a population of students in my district that do have a strong foundation, but my district also has it's fair share of students who have a very unstable academic foundation. I have also noticed that our special ed population has actually grown over the last few years and even the students in my general ed classess seem to be a step behind the class that was before them. I usually ask my self if that isn't a little backwards, and what the root of the problem might be. The jury is still out on that one for me!
2.What types of family literacy programs does your school have in place at this time and are they effective?
AW: We currently do not have anything specific for families in terms of literacy.
VI-S: We don't have a family program currently in place. Our library tries to hold things throughout the year but usually it is very few parents who show up.
MC: Other than our fall and spring book fair and the conversations we have at open house there isn't anything. I would love to find a way to do something like that at the middle school level, but havne't had the opportunity to do that yet.
*3. The chapter discussed home visits.I can see their immense value, but how would teachers work them into their normal routine?Would the results be worth the investment of time, etc.?
AW: I have heard of teacher doing this before the school year begins, to establish rapport and and see each child's home life first hand. I personally have never done this and I'm not sure you would have to do this for each student, maybe just the struggling ones. Then again, that doesn't seem fair. I think it would depend on the child and the family. Some families may be embarrassed or not interested.
VI-S: We do not do home visits but are expected to call and write a letter within the first week of school. I can defenitly see the benefit of making home visits to show parents you are invested in their childs education. I don't know if I would feel safe enough in our district (maybe if another co-worker came with). Many of our parents work at odd hours and are very difficult to get a hold of even by phone.
MC: I agree with the idea that they could be valuable, but I understand what Vanessa is saying about not feeling safe. The majority of my file students do not come from homes that I feel like I would be comfortable visiting alone, but I do try to make contact with the family.
Vanessa's ?s
1. What activities do you do in your classroom to learn about your students family and literacy practices at home?
TH: At the beginning of the year we do a "get to know each other" activity. We spend several class periods working on it because it works on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. It is not uncommon for my assistant to call parents and speak to them in Spanish, learning valuable information. We also have many many discussions in our class relating topics to the child's life experiences.
AW: I think we all do an "all about me" unit at the beginning to get to know each other. But, I would guess that most everything else comes from observation and little things you learn along the way. Some things can't be explained by the child. My kids don't ride the bus, so usually I see the parents after school and I can communicate directly with those parents.
MC: Sometimes the students write autiobiography poems about their home life and themselves, and sometimes we just have them do activities or play games to get to know each other. Then we usually read a short novel or a short story and then have them work in small groups so they can also get to know eachother and we can see how they work with each other.
2. How do you get your parents actively involved in their child's literacy goals?
TH: This can be as simple as a phone call explaining an assignment with or without suggestions for how to reinforce it. I also stress to parents that ANYTHING they do to help their child (in either language) is beneicial to their child's literacy development. We encourage them to read to their child every night (doesn't matter the language). We also encourage them to take advantage of the public library's resources. Above all, we encourage the parents to learn English by attending the Parent English classes offered in our district, by watching English television, listening to English radio, etc.
AW: We have AR and many teachers do literacy bags that go home each night. These include games and books to do together as a family.
MC: Other than coming to open house in the fall, the fall and spring book fair, and the parents that are involved in PTA there isn't much that our parents are involved in at the middle school level.
3. How do you use the information gathered from your students/parents to aid in your teaching?
TH: It is extremely important for me to determine whether or not the parents of my students have adequate English speaking/understanding skills. If they need a translator for parent/teacher meetings with the regular classroom teachers, we need to be able to provide that for them. We also try to make sure notes, newsletters, etc. are translated before being sent home. It is it important enough to go home, it needs to be readable by the family. By finding out about the family environment, I can get to know my students better.
AW: If I know a child needs something specific, then I definitely incorporate that into my lessons. For instance, last year I had a little girl with a severe speech problem. We worked everyday to increase her vocabulary and worked with speaking in complete sentences so she practiced her oral language skills. The mom and the speech therapist noticed. They complimented and thanked me fore reinforcing skills she was taught in speech.
MC: I definately use the information I find out about my students when teaching! I like to think of the beginning of the year as building on my own background knowledge of my students so that I can connect with them and help them connect to what we will learn that year together. It's definately not boring the first few days of middle school.